Page 27 of Yorkie to My Heart (Friends of Gaynor Beach Animal Rescue #6)

Jeremy

Okay, so that was totally unexpected.

As I sat at my sister’s kitchen table and ate the reheated grilled cheese sandwich, I tried to assimilate the last eighteen hours.

Hell, I tried to piece together every moment since I’d tripped over Wally’s leash a week ago.

A week? It’s only been a freaking week? How is that possible?

Honestly, I felt like I’d known Phillip forever. Not in the biblical sense, obviously, although—hello—very interested.

No, just in the deep emotional connection sense. He’d opened up to me about some pretty tough stuff. I’d been even more of an open book with him than I was with most people. Hell, I’d opened my home to him...

A home we were returning to as soon as I finished the sandwich and Marcie returned.

I’d apologized to her profusely over and over again for somehow missing her text.

When I pointed out she should’ve called, she countered back with, upon arriving at the hospital and realizing things weren’t nearly as dire as she’d been led to believe, she’d remembered my midnight run to drop Phillip off and she worried about me.

I still would’ve come.

Interviews with well-known reporters be damned.

Overall, Andreas held up well under the scrutiny.

Without being overt, he made it clear he was the aggrieved party.

And that he was happy to come out now—not that he had any choice—because he believed in living his authentic life.

Just before, he’d believed that meant escorting costars to charity events and keeping his private life exactly that—private.

The reporter also had a brief conversation with Norah—to assure the world that the young woman really was okay with all this—and then everyone had pretended to move on with their lives.

Until, as I’d been walking out the door, an alert flashed that an LAPD source had dropped Omar’s name in connection with Andreas.

Between that tidbit and the black eye, things had spiraled out of control.

I’d be cleaning up the mess likely until Andreas went to Vancouver.

Possibly longer. But we’d hit the end of the line tonight, and nothing short of my bed would be enough at this point.

Well, except seeing Phillip taking care of Raphael, himself, and Wally.

I hadn’t asked why everyone was wet. I figured my nibblet’s insistence on a bath every night had something to do with it.

After finishing the sandwich, I wiped my hand on a napkin, put the plate in the dishwasher, and headed upstairs.

As I’d assumed, Thaddeus was fast asleep. He’d tossed off his blankets, and I engaged in a ritual I enjoyed so much—I tucked him back under the covers.

I found Raphael in their bed with a towel on their pillow and their nose in a book.

“Would you like me to blow dry your hair?”

They shook their head—which I’d expected. They never enjoyed the sensation of hot air being blown on them.

I was grateful it appeared they’d managed to stay dressed today. Although I somehow suspected Phillip would’ve coped.

His willingness to just step up and do whatever was necessary warmed me. I didn’t know how much experience he had watching children. The good news was that Raphael would’ve been just bossy enough to ensure the house ran smoothly.

Or chaos might’ve ensued. Things could’ve gone either way.

“I love you,” I told my precocious niblet.

They rolled their eyes. “Duh.”

Which was often their way of expressing their affection toward me. Sometimes I got an I love you . That was rare, and therefore even more treasured when it happened.

Thaddeus loved to run around hugging everyone and telling them that he loved them, from his mom to a stranger in the park. Cute in a three-year-old, but would likely get him into trouble later if he didn’t become more discriminating.

I waved to Raphael before moving to the room Phillip was using. Everything was organized, so packing up took mere moments. As I’d known, Wally’s stuff took up more space in the bag than my human friend’s.

Friend .

Yeah, that fit. My being attracted to him didn’t diminish the friendship. His willingness to help my sister only amplified my feelings for him. He’d survived an evening with the nibblets—not all the people I knew were capable of that.

Marcie admitted, once she’d calmed, that she’d thought of about a dozen other people she could’ve called. But she’d chosen Phillip and hadn’t wavered in her faith he could do the job. Hadn’t wanted him to think she didn’t believe in him.

I snagged the bag and Wally’s stairs and headed back down to Phillip. I found him putting the wet towels in the washing machine. His shorts were still clearly damp, and Wally wafted eau de wet dog, but they appeared undamaged. I cleared my throat. “Do I want to know how Wally got wet?”

Phillip offered a weary smile. “Apparently climbing step stools and jumping into eight inches of water is a talent I didn’t know my dog possessed. I did my best to clean up all the water.”

“I’m certain it’s fine.”

“Raphael directed me.”

“They’re good at that.”

“Yes, they are. They talked me into making the grilled cheese. I resisted the urgings, from both children, to bake cookies.”

“Do you know how to bake cookies?” Only after I asked the question did I hear how it sounded.

“Nope.” He smiled. “But Raphael offered to teach me.”

I licked my lips. “Raphael makes amazing cookies.”

“I’ll bet they do. Alas, I wasn’t turning on an oven while babysitting. That was a step too far.” He tried to smooth out his cotton shirt.

A hopeless cause.

“Let’s get you home. You can shower and then…head to bed?”

He let out a long sigh of relief. “Yes, please. That.” He wiped his face with his hand. “I slept badly last night and am exhausted. You must be running on fumes.”

“Yeah, I kind of am. But I got most of what I needed done today. There’ll be cleanup for the next two weeks, but I’ll manage.”

“Two weeks?”

“I’ll tell you about it on the ride home.”

“Home.” He sighed the word. “I adore Marcie and the kids, but I think I’m done for the day. If she needs me tomorrow?—”

“Raphael has school and Thaddeus has daycare. If all goes well, Marcie and I will be able to get Mom home and settled in that time. Now, what do you plan to do tomorrow?”

“Rest?”

I clapped him on the back. “Absolutely legitimate.”

We stepped out of the laundry room just in time for Marcie to arrive.

She spent five minutes listening to Phillip recount every moment of the day. All three of us were exhausted, but clearly Phillip felt he needed to justify all the little decisions he’d made.

As far as I was concerned, he’d done brilliantly. Two unharmed children in bed. A dog who was almost dry. The house put to rights.

Marcie felt the same way as she asked Phillip if she could hug him.

Whether he felt turning her down was rude, or if he saw how much she needed the reassurance, he offered it freely.

Huh. Maybe he needs the reassurance as well. I made a note to tell him repeatedly what a great job he’d done. Without question, few people had taken the time to praise him in his short life. He deserved all the praise.

On the way home, I brought him up to speed on the Omar, Andreas, Valentino, and Norah fiasco.

He made appropriate noises of sympathy. Does he understand? Sometimes he seems very clear-eyed about the world, and other times he seems na?ve.

At home, I put everything back in what I now thought of as Phillip’s room.

To my relief, he took a hot shower and dressed in the overlarge pajamas. He’d shivered in the car, despite my jacking up the heat.

I didn’t see how someone in SoCal could get cold in what was now eighty-degree heat…but Phillip had managed.

“Would you like something warm to drink? Hot chocolate? Herbal tea?”

Slowly, he shook his head. “I think…I’d like a hug and then to go to bed.” He pinkened. “I mean in my room. And you in your room. Not together, like, because that would be all kinds of weird, and you’re not interested in me that way, and?—”

“The hell I’m not. But are you interested in me that way?” I asked the question before my brain-to-mouth filter could kick in. I hadn’t meant to put him on the spot. That was so not my intention.

“Of course I am.” He blurted out the words. Then bit his lip as if he wanted to take them back.

Why not take a chance?

Because he might feel uncomfortable and want to leave. Where would he go?

Yeah…but he might also want it…

I tried to shut off my internal monologue. This wasn’t right. Phillip was a guest in my home. I didn’t have the right?—

He advanced toward me.

I held my ground. In the dark light of the hallway, I spotted only a bit of those stunning green irises.

He was a handsome man, but that wasn’t what attracted me to him.

Well, not all of it. He had a mixture of innocence and wariness that drew me in.

I wanted to show him all the good that life had to offer. I wanted to make him smile.

He stood before me, gazing up.

On impulse, I stroked his cheek, much as I had earlier. Then, the gesture had been born out of endearment. My way to thank him for taking care of the nibblets. For taking care of my sister from afar. For just being a good person.

Now, though, the gesture was tender, to be certain, but also with the knowledge of my attraction to him.

He grasped my hand and held it to his cheek.

The contrast of his cold hand and his warm cheek brought the moment into sharp focus.

He blinked. “Will you kiss me?”

“Anything you want.” I’d deny him nothing. Realizing I needed to lead this, I lowered my mouth.

His eyes drifted shut.

I pressed our mouths together. Just a light brush. An assurance I wanted this.

He grasped the back of my neck to bring me closer. He opened his mouth and licked the seam of my lips. Naturally, I opened. Never, in my wildest dreams, had I envisioned he might be the one demanding ardor. That he might be the aggressor.

I fucking loved it.